The words “Met Gala” don’t exactly sparkle with the same sheen of glamour and mystique that they once did, at least not in 2025. Not long ago, the annual fundraising event for New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute implied style and showstopping pageantry. During the two Obama administrations, the event was largely off the radar to most people outside the fashion world. But the proliferation of social media stan culture, which exploded in the mid-2010s, upped the stakes. The gala’s celebrity attendees were watched with intense scrutiny from the moment they left the doors of Manhattan’s swanky Carlyle or Mark hotels until the second they finished ascending the carpeted steps of the Met’s famous steps and disappeared into the museum.

Even the constant chaos of the first Trump administration couldn’t dampen the party. In such unprecedented times — aka, a moment in history when the words “unprecedented times” had never been used more frequently — the Met Gala felt like a welcome distraction. The one-two punch of 2018’s “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” and 2019’s “Camp: Notes on Fashion” themes was perfect counter-programming to the daily news. The gala put imagination back into the hands of the public, even if it was being handed down from the elite to all of us watching at home, eating takeout while picking at the holes in our socks.

This year’s Met Gala demands a critical look at the institutions it props up. But its theme also deserves legitimate introspection. The Met Gala is not a perfect establishment, but by refuting it entirely, its critics are no better than the artless, ahistorical fascists they purport to abhor.

But now, the Met Gala feels … different. To say the last few years have lifted the veil off the public consciousness would be an understatement. And though the celebration has long had its share of questionable themes and even more questionable guests, in times of postmodern MAGA conservatism, it feels like a party where Gotham City bigwigs would be held hostage by the Joker. The event saw its share of critics in the days leading up to 2025’s first Monday in May, who derided such a lavish display of wealth and power in the face of mass ICE deportations, crippling tariffs and having to look at Elon Musk’s bloated visage every waking minute of the day. Those are understandable, worthy complaints. But with this year’s bewitching Met Gala theme and exhibition, and all it stands to do for emerging Black creatives and artists, as well as for the millions of people gawking at the looks on the red carpet at home, there’s more nuance that needs to be considered. This year’s Met Gala demands a critical look at the institutions it props up, yes, but its theme also deserves legitimate introspection. The Met Gala is not a perfect establishment, but that doesn’t mean it’s worth refuting entirely. By doing that, its critics are no better than the artless, ahistorical fascists they purport to abhor.

Related

The theme for this year’s Met Gala corresponded with the new exhibition opening at the Met’s Costume Institute: “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” The show explores the Black dandy, an evolving look in Black sartorial history; both retro and contemporary, that displays affection for menswear, excellent tailoring and a consistent fondness for tasteful flamboyance and whimsy. The exhibition is inspired by Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book, “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity." Miller is a guest curator for the show and worked alongside the Met’s longtime curator, Andrew Bolton, to put on a spectacular display worthy of the Black dandy’s extensive........

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